I can’t belive it … In two days I am going to China. I have been planning this trip for 3 months. Getting the Visa was a little tricky( it should be almost a formality,  but now, with the Olympic Games and all, the Chinese embassy  is way more strict  )   , but everything is set!

So what do you need to do if you want to visit China ?

Get the Visa

Check the web site of the Chinese Embassy in your country to see if you meet the reqirements to apply for a visa.

For my country, on the website was clearly written: to get a Chinese visa you need:

  • the plane ticket(I think a plane reservation is good too);
  • the passport( must have at least 2 empty pages  and must be valid for at least 6months at the time of your departure;
  • two passport type photos;
  • some money – the tax is $25, ( + extra  $30 if you want to get the visa the same day);

When I got to the Embassy, I was told that I also need a hotel reservation. I was going to stay at a friend so I didn’t have any hotel reservation…  The Chinese Embassy   is open to public for 4-5hours, two days a week  and I could not get the visa that day.  I found a nice online portal where I managed to make a hotel reservation without giving any credit card details.   And the second time to the Embassy, I got my visa.

The visa must be issued at least 7 days before you part.

The Plane Ticket

If you’re flying  from Europe, the main airline companies that have flights to China are: Air France(From France), KLM(Holland), Aeroflot(Russia) and British Airways(Great Britain). The best price I’ve found for my flight(Bucharest – Amsterdam – Shanghai – Dalian  and back) was with KLM.  About 800Euro. I bought the ticket through   TerminalA.com. I was very pleased with their services.

Posted by George as China, Travel Stories

Tags: , ,